Lawn tending cart



March 25, 1958 F. A. DE PUYDT E'rAL 2,828,051

LAWN TENDING lGART Filed July 15, `1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 25, 1958 'F. A. DE PUYDT l-:TAL 2,828,051

LAWN TENDING CART Filed July 15, 1954 3 Sheets-,Sheet 2 faeliljl@ March 25,1958 F. A. DE PUYDT ETAL v 2,828,051

- LAWN TENDING CART l Filed July 15, 1954 s Sheng-sheet 3 -95 y l r QV' .1o. y l f? I i f 5'Q y I f 4c.

Anvenlav United States Patent O Our inventionis a lawn tending cart that will perform the functions of a cart, a seeder or a fertilizer spreader'. It is soconstruct'ed and arranged as to be changed from one into another of the functions it performs very rapidly and easily. Our device is also provided with agate to control the size of the openings for the seeder and spreader functions that is resiliently and yieldingly held against the v vehicle so that jams of material being Vdispensed which often happens with fertilizer can be cleared. We have also employed a gate stop in the `seeder and spreader structure that makes it possible for one gate to serve for both purposes. Further we ,have provided means for easily and quickly connecting and disconnecting theagitator for the seeder and spreader from its source of driving power. In summary, then, of this very brief description of our invention the objects of our invention are to provide a lawn tending car that:

(l) Is readily converted from one of its use to any other of its uses.

(2) Has a gate for controlling the openings of the dispensing mechanism that will operate well for both seeding and spreading. y

(3) Has a dispensing mechanism that can be cleared of jams easily. Y

(4) Has `a simple stop mechanism to determine'the position of the gate Vfor rapid adjustment of the gate to the proper opening for known work.

(5 lHas a wheel driven agitator that is easily connected and disconnected. j

(6) Can be used as a cart without disconnecting-the agitator. j

(7) Has a gate that moves in the .direction of the line vof travel of the vehicle to adjust the openings of the dispensing mechanism. v

(8) Has structure that makes it possible to `urgemate'- rial in the car to and into the dispensing mechanism.

(9) Is very inexpensive'to manufacture and produce tor the market vin view o f the several lfunctions of the l device. While these specific objects are the principal ones of our invention, it is our intention to include as objects of our invention any such that may be apparent to one skilled in the art after he has read this specification, in-

clu'ding the claims, and examined the accompanieddrawings which are briefly described as follows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of our lawn tending cart. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the `cover plate for the depending dispensing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of our lawn tendi ing cart drawn to a larger scale than that used in Fig. 2. Broken lines show adjusted positions of parts.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the agitator shown in section and drawn to the same scale as that used in Fig. 3 but with the dispenser cover plate shown in place. Portions` of the structure are omitted in the interests of clarity.

j Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation view of our lawn tending cart drawn to the same scale as Fig. 3. A portion of the device `is deleted to show the gate stop clearly. Broken lines show the missing parts.

, Patented Mar. 25, 1958 ICC Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom view of our lawn tending cart drawn to the same scale as Fig. 3 with portions of the gate broken away to illustrate the construction of the dispensing mechanism more fully.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the gate stop of our lawn tending cart drawn to a larger scale than that used in Fig. 3. l

` Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the agitator and gate structure of the dispensing mechanism drawn to the scale used in Fig. 7 and taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5. Broken lines illustrate the normal position of the gate adjacent the dispensing trough.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to that in Fig. 8, drawn to the same scale, but taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5. Broken lines again illustrate the normal position of the gate.

Fig. l0 is a fragmentary bottom view of the gate and agitator trough like housing of our lawn tending cart. It is drawn to about the same scale as Figures 8 and 9 with broken lines showing hidden parts.

Fig. l1 is a side elevation of one wheel of our lawn tending cart drawn to thescale used in Fig. 3.

We turn now to a detailed description of the structures We created to solve the problems outlined above. In the drawing-s accompanying this specification, a given reference number always designates the same or substantially identicalparts. We have used the number 20 to designate the slanted front and curved hopper body bottom to which the sides 22 and 22a are secured to form the complete hopper body. Sides 22 and 22a are continued below the curve ofthe bottom at the rear to form the supporting'legs 24 and 24a. These legs are also used to jar material down the slope of the slanted front of the hopper body to urge material clinging to the front into the opening 26. This opening is arranged at the bottom ofthe front slope of the body bottom and is the opening into the trough-like housing 28 of the dispensing mechanism. .The top edge of the body is rolled and reinforced ina conventional manner as at 30 in Figures l and 3. Openings 2,6 may be covered when itis desired to use the .vehicle as a cart. A cover plate 32 which` has a conventional folding ring handle is used for this purpose. The tongue 34 is used to secure one end of the plate 32, and the other end is held in place in the cart by the spring catches 36. These springkcatches engage any suitable projection such as the bolt heads 38 when the plate is in place as shown in Fig. 4. The plate can be inserted and removed at willand very easily. The agitator described vbelow is contained entirely within the housing 28 and l48 is loosely rotatable on the axle while the wheel 50 is secured to the axle selectively in a manner similar to that of wheel 48 or connected thereto with the key 52 so that rotation of the Wheel 50 isimparted to the axle. The key has a at sided hole in it so that it always rotates with the axle which has a flat sided end to fit in the key. The key is valso provided with the lingers 54 that are eccentric of saidI flat sidedhole and that enter appropriately formed holes eccentrically positioned relative to the journal in the wheel 50 when the key is placed on the axle with the lingers pointing in toward the wheel 50 as shown in Fig. 5. When the fingers are inserted in the eccentrically positioned holes in the wheel, the axle and the wheel are locked together for rotational motion. It the vehicle is to be used as a cart exclusively over a long period of time, however, the key can be removed and turned around so that the fingers 54 point out away [from the wheel. With the key positioned as last described, thewheel 50 is freely journaled on the axle 46. This reduces Wear on the agitating mechanismwhen .it is not being used, Vas the agitator will rotate and wear only if the wheel .50 and the axle 46 are locked together by means ofthe lingers 54 of key 52 entering the eccentric holes V'in the Vwheel 50.

v The dispensing mechanism is .confined toa space below the top of housing 28 so that the plate 32 can be used to convert the cart into a solid bottomed material transporte ing unit without any necessity of disconnecting Ythe axle from the wheel 50.V lf this-were` not true, much time would be wasted in converting the vehicle from its use as a seeder or spreader to its use as a cart and vice-versa. When the unit is used -for one of these purposes for only a short time, this `easy conversion vtrack to another form.

is a great boon; Contained entirely within the housing 28 is the agitatorwhich consists of the double vanes .5.6 that are secured to the axle V4.6. When the wheel 5.0 is .connected to Ythe axle, anyV normal movement of the cart over a sunface will impart movement to vthe agitator, Move'- ment of the agitator causes the material in the housing 28 to be disturbed and as much of it as is permitted escapes throughrthe openings 58. These openings are pointed on one end as at 60 Vand shown most Clearly in Fig. 10. A gate designated 62 has a plurality of openings in it ydesignated 64. The gate openings present a straight To clear jams of fertilizer, the gate is rocked back and forth by pushing down and lifting up on 'handle 86 or by side to the points of the openings 58. Thestraight edges of the gate openings can be moved to and from the points of the housing openings to form triangular openings of various sizes or even larger ve-sided figures. The former are used for iine materials such as seed while the latter are used with fertilizer.

A simple stop plate 66 is slidably mounted on 'the rear of the body by means of the stud 68 extending through the diagonal slot 72. A wing nut designated 70 may be loosened or tightened selectively to permit `the plate to be movedor to lock it in place respectively. .As the plate 66 is moved laterally on the stud, there is .longitudinal movement of the plate also which .adjusts the .stop for various gate openings. A pointer 74 secured vto the plate and spaced indicia marked on the b ody permit resetting the stop to any known advantageous setting for particular work. The indicia are designated `76. Shoulders 78 formed on the stop make it easyto move laterally on the stud y68.` A-ilange on the stop designated v482 engages the rear flange 80 of .the gate 62; The gate 62 also has a front tiange `84 ,-for added rigidity.. As a means to facilitate slidingthe gate 62 .over the housing 2.8 .a handle .8.6 is rigidly secured to the gate. This sliding movement .of the gateis possible, because the gate is heldto .the housing by the long. bolts 83extending throughthe housing and the slots 90 in the gate( Resilient elements such as the springs 92 that embrace .the bolts between the washers 94 are secured to the .bolts and hence the housing bythe .nuts 96. The springs engageau'd bear on the gate 62 -to hold it against the housing 28. The gate is held yieldingly land can be moved back Vand forth over Vthe surface `of the housing within `the limitations of slots 90 land inthe di,- rection of the normal movement ofthe cart-over asur- Iface. To further facilitate the .rearward .sliding ,movevment .of .the gate 62, the handle 86 is provided with the grip 98 here shown for simplicity as a ring. Because the .gate `is held against the Yhousing 28 only `yieldingly by Vsprings 92, furthermore, it can'also be moved las shownin FiguresS and 9 which .tips the for-ward edge of gate 62 .away from housing `23 by compressing .the -front springs .92 .as shown in .Fig 8.i .In that gurethefront `(leftlhand.) spring 92 lis compressed and the back one l(right hand). is not. If handle IS6v is suddenly released, the Ygate is Vsnapped 'against the Vhousing 28 by the expansion of ythe -frontl springs. By pushing down on handle' 86,Y movement -o'f the ygate in a manner-similaito Ythat .shown -in ldown and into the opening 26.

springing the gate` in one direction and letting it snap back under spring tension. Commercial fertilizerspack rather easily on the long forward slope of the cart body also. Materials that have packed there can be brought down and into the opening 26 by jarring the hopper body. We have provided structure that makes this jarring easily done. 26 at the base of the sloping front instead of at what might be considered `the center of the bottom; that is a point midway between the termination of the front and back. Since the opening 26 is at the base of the sloping front, `a jar administered tothe hopperbody by banging the supporting legs 24 and 24a on the ground or other supporting surfacer will tend to force packed material Any material that is clinging t0 the .rear .0f the hopper body ycfm be Shaken ,10955 by the saine jarring. vItI may then be necessary to tip the body forward t0 throw the .loosened material from the vb acl on tothe front slope `and then down into the dispenser.Y All this movement ofthe material can be done, however, without any tool separate from the cart being involved.

,We have disclosed our invention in the foregoing specitcatiohgwherein we have recited the general structure to carry our invention into effect and have shown the preferred, though not exclusive, practical embodiment of it. We now `specifically' claim and thereby particularly point out what we believe to be our invention.

We claim: f

Vl. In .a lawn ytending cart; a hopper body having a slanted iront; said hopper body having an opening in the bottom thereof at the base of the slanted A,front thereof;

a trough-like housing secured over said Vhopper body opening; said trough-like housing having openings in the bottom thereof; long bolts secured Vto said .trough-like housing; a transversely slotted gate having jits slots ernbracing said long bolts; coil springs embracing vsaid long bolts and engaging said gate; nuts .on said long bolts to secure said springs thereon; said gate presenting openings to the openings in said trough-like housing; a handle secured to said gate for over-powering said springs to move alternately the front and rear edges of sai-d gate away from said troughlike housing; an axle jourualled in the sides of'said trough-like housing; vanes secured to said axle; .Said vagas beine @stained entirely within Said trough-.like housing; a cover plate Ifor closing the opening in the .bottom olf said hopper body at -will; a pair of wheels journaled on said axle; means for interconnecting on@ .of said wheels to said axle for simultaneous rotation .therewith and disconnecting said wheel from said .axle selectively Vwforrotation of said Wheel Von said axle independlawn tending materials are dispensedpa gate ,moveably secured to Lsaid trough-like housing for increasing and de- .creasing 'selectively the effective size .of the `openings in Said-.trough.1ike. housing; said gate also being resiliently mounted on sai-d trough-like housing; and means `secured to said gate for .overpowering vthe resilientY mounting ol :said gate-and moving; alternately, opposing edges of said gate away -from said -trough-like housing at will.

. 3. The lawn tending cart of vclaim 2 in which said gate is also `slidably secured :to said `trough-like housing for reciprocal movement inthe direction of normal AAmovement vof said:cart^over a surface. t

4. The-lawn tending cart'of claim-3 in which an axle is 2journalled in .said trough like housing; an agitator is secured to said axle; said axle having at Yleast one flattened end; a vkey having va at sided hole therein fitting o n the k:ilattened end of said axle; awheel onsaid axle; said wheel having at least one 4ho'le therein eccentric `of its journal;

In the rst place we positioned the opening f said key having a finger thereon adapted to fitting in the eccentrically positioned hole in said wheel and being withdrawn therefrom selectively. i

5. The lawn tending cart of claim 4 in which a stud is secured to said trough like housing near said gate; a plate having a diagonal slot therein slidably mounted on said stud; and a nut on said stud for clamping said plate at will to immobilize it.

6. The lawn tending cart of claim 5 in which a pointed means is formed on said plate; and spaced indicia are marked on said trough like housing adjacent said plate.

7. The lawn tending cart of claim 2 in which said resilient mounting for said gate consists of; bolts secured to said trough like housing; springs secured to said bolts and engaging said gate; and said means secured to said gate for overpowering said springs at will is n'gid; whereby leverage can be applied to said gate to tip alternately the front and rear edges of said gate away from said trough like housing.

8. The lawn tending cart of claim 2 in which an axle is 20 journalled in said trough like housing; an agitator is secured to said axle; said axle having at least one attened end; a key having a at sided hole therein fitting on the flattened end of said axle; a wheel on said axle; said wheel References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 752,190 Tieman Feb. 16, 1904 1,015,969 McCrary Jan. 30, 1912 1,888,821 Fearn Nov. 22, 1932 2,661,125 Gandrud Dec. 1, 1953 2,667,286 Raught Jan. 26, 1954 2,678,145 Juzwiak et al. May l1, 1954 2,737,317 Gustison Mar. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 470,062 Italy Mar. 18, 1952 

